3-003-995 - The Print Collector/Heritage Images

Mr. Ledger's alpacas and llamas at Sophienburg, the seat of Mr. Atkinson, New South Wales, 1861. 'Llama, cross, alpaca...selected for slaughter and exhibition as stuffed specimens at the Great Exhibition of 1862...The Peruvian Government, jealous of so wealth-producing an animal being possessed by other countries, in 1845 issued a decree prohibiting their exportation, and imposing a penalty of forfeiture of the flock and of ten years' labour in chains...on the owner of any flock of these animals found within a certain distance of the coast...Mr. Charles Ledger succeeded, in 1858, in landing at Sydney 276 of these animals...It is impossible too highly to estimate the importance of this to the future of our colonies...[for wool and meat. They are flourishing] showing in the most convincing manner both the perfect acclimatisation of the alpaca in Australia and the complete success of the crossbreeding Mr. Ledger has been conducting...on the 7th of September, the first alpaca meat killed in the colony was partaken of by a party of more than 300 ladies and gentlemen of the elite of Sydney...a silver medal was presented by the Society of Arts "To Mr. Charles Ledger, for the introduction of the alpaca into the Australian Colonies." From "Illustrated London News", 1861.